The semi-weekly fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1886-1887, 1887-10-14
TRAVELLING BY CARAVANS
THE PRINCIPAL MODE OF TRANS
PoRTATIoN IN PERSIA
CameIs, Mules and Donkeys Cseu III
PIIgrimages and TRACE = no"
Persians Ride-The Ishappar'

IL.
country absolutely without progress,
country where the ways of 4, 600 years
ago are the ways of to-day. Such coun,
try is Persia" says w. Won Schier-Brand
in the New York Commercial AdrertlSer.
The muscles of the quadruped and the
muscles of the biped are the only engines
of locomotion known there. The caravan,
such as described in the tales of the one
eyed calendar, is still the all-important
means of communication, the caravan
with its chief guide, its camel, mule and
donkey drivers, its manifold dangers
its slowness and patriarchal habits.
Caravans IN Persia are of all sizes ana
kinds, depending very much on the route
to be travelled over, and on the season.
The largest caravans are those made up
of nilGrims to Mecca and to Meshed.
The trip to Mohammed's tomb and back
is calculated to consume six months, and
one caravan starts each year to Persia,
VARYING in size from 10, 900 to 10000. 1t
is a dangerous Journey at the best, ana
there is GOOD and substantial reason, be-
sides religious enthusiasm, to accord
sDecial hOnOrs and the honorary cog
nomen ''hadjee" to every one who has
braved its perils. Out of every five pill
orims who start out for Mecca not more
than two return The others have died
by the roadside from heat, disease or
under the daggers of robbers. The pill
grims to Meshed are, however, much
more numerous than those who
trv to win foreigners of their
sins by a visit to the prophets
grave. At Meshed, large town in the
northwestern extremity of Persia, IS the
gorgeous silver shrine of Imam Reza,
saint ranking next to the prophet him,
self in Persian estimation. During good
wears the concourse of pious strangers IN
Meshed mounts up to quarter OF MIL
lion in numbers. The caravans who go
there are generally well guarded by an
escort of troops and a couple of mounted
guns, a needful precaution, as these
thousands of pilgrims carry good deal
of valuable property and money with
them, and used to be the prey OF rowing
bands of Turcomans from the deserts
adjoining KhOrassan, that beng the
nrOvince in which Meshed is located.
OF course, these caravans are excep-
tions. For the common purpose of every
dav life, such as trade especially,
caravans of all sizes are constantly on
their way between all the principal towns
of the vast monarchy. OF necessity,
these also travel slowly.
While the camel is used exclusively as
a beast of burden, the mule and donkey
are made to serve for riding purposes as
well. though only for the aged, the
women and the priests. The horse now,
as in the time of Xerxes, is the 1nsepara-
bic companion of the well-born Persian.
When a man is very old and feeble he
has servant trudging beside his steed,
leading him by the reins safely over all
unevenness in the path. Even small
bows of six ride on horseback when they
10
as said before, on donkeys, or else either
by ''Kedshaweh" or by "takhteravan.
the latter is a species Of sedan chair,
carried by two mules, one in front and
one in the rear 1t is not the most
pleasant sort of locomotion, and to those
unaccustomed to it the continued shak
ing produced by the uneven tread OF the
two animals has a similar effect to sea
sickness. Still, habit is everything, ano
the wives of well-tO-dO Persians almost
invariably choose this method Of trans
port rather than any other. The ''ked
Shaweh'' is an institution affected only
by the wives and daughters of the poor
1t consists of brace OF baskets, one
hanging down from each side of an as
or mule, large enough for woman to 81
in crouching position, with her knee
drawn almost under her chin. Inc two
baskets are InUS evenly DdldhCCN, HhN
the empty one usually serves to hold thu
baggage of the female traveller coopeC
up in the other.
Besides by caravan there is anothe
method OF travelling in Persia. That i
by ''tshappar'' or post. The great AIMEE
Nizam, the ablest statesman Persia ha
produced during the last century, wa
the originator of tshappar. He caused
network of postal stations, called 'tshap
par khanes," to be erected along tn
principal roads leading to the capital
These stations are situated at conven1en
distances, say an average of twenty mile
from each other, and each is preside'
over by an officer, who has charge of tn
dozen or so of tough nags furnished b.
the government, and which can b
hired by travellers at so much per mile
These postal stations are always sma
and unpretentious buildings, devoid Q
every comfort, and vouchsafng abso
luely nothing but inadequate shelter t
the tired traveller. The horses, too, AT
brutes of low degree and devoid ofped
gree. such mongrels, in fact, as ar
known in the country as ''yaboo" (hack
The discomforts to be encountered Will
traversing the country by tshappar ar
many and serious, and none but an lro
constitution will bear them withoU
dar Uer r, life and limb But for all tha